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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. GILLESPIE, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROEVD SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 45,487, dated December 20, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES E. GILLEsPIE, oi' Trenton, in the eountyot' Mercer and State ot' New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Spring Bed-Bottom 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part ot'rhis specification, in which- Figure l represents the several. parts ofthe bed-bottom with the springs in a relaxed condition. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the said spring, showingits construction and arrange Inent withthe slat or strip D. Fig. 3 is a detached view ofthe plate or connection F. Fig. 4 represents the several parts of the bed-bottom with the springs in atense condition, produced by adownward pressure or weight upon the said slats.

Similar letters ot reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in the eniplayment of a peculiarly-construeted spring at the ends of the slats or strips that form the bottom of a bedstead, and, in combination therewith, a connecting plate or link for connecting and attaching the said bottom to the rails of the bedstead in the proper manner.

In the said drawings, l.) D are the opposite ends of the bed-Slat, which Inay either extend lengthwise or crosswise of the bedstead. B is the spring, consisting of two coils ot' wire connected by a loop, n, and two hooks, h L. 'lhe loop n passes through a hole cut in the end ot' the slat, as shown in Fig. 2, and is se cured therein and to the slat by a stout Wedge, e, passing through the loop. A cylindrical piece ot' wood, w, is inserted within the coils of wire, which serves to resist any tendency to draw the coils out of shape and serves as a kind of axle, aroiznl which the spring yields when subjected to the weight that may be laid upon the slat. Thehooks IL are conveniently formed at the two ends of the wire of which the springis formed, and by means of these the spring is connected with the connecting plate or link F, of metal, leather, or other suitable material, through the holes d d therein. This plate or link is secured by means ofpegs, hooks, or screws l l, passing through the holes s s to the rails A A of the bedstead at one corner or edge thereof, which is slightly rounded to ai'ord at'ree and natural action to the said plate or link.

'lhe several parts being constructed and arranged as described, it will be seen that when the springB is relaxed as shown in Fig. l the shank of the hooks h are parallel, or nearly so, with the loop n., but that when the said spring is subjected to a weight laid upon the slat, as shown in Fig 4, the slat is depressed nearly level with the rails, the shanks of the hooks are strained to a position at right angles, or nearly so, with the said loop n, the plat e orlink swings upon the screws or pegs Z L in the rail, so that any movement of the body up- `on the slat causes the spring to yield around the cylinder lw with a considerable degree and ease ot'action, which, taken in connection with the cheapness and durability of its construction, constitutes a considerable improvement over other springs which have been used for the purpose.

VWhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy The combination of the spring B and link F with the slat l) and the rail A, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as specified.

J. E. GILLESPIE.

Witnesses:

IsAAc A. BRowNELL, WILLIAM BRowNELL. 

